GM CEO says 'disturbed' by company references to high cost of replacing switches

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors CEO Mary Barra told a congressional hearing on Tuesday that she was disturbed by past GM comments that the cost of replacing defective switches in some cars, that have now been recalled, was too high.

Barra told a House of Representatives committee that the company had retained Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw victims compensation funds after the September 11 attacks, to help in its response to the crisis.

U.S. lawmakers are seeking to establish who is to blame for at least 13 GM auto-related deaths over the past decade and challenged Barra over the automaker's slow response to defective ignition switches in its cars.